


Protection

by taztaas (manala)



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Kravitz is a half-drow, M/M, Slow Burn, Survival, Taako is a high-elf, Unspecified fantasy world, bleak high fantasy setting, the world is a bad place
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-02-22 07:13:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13161927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manala/pseuds/taztaas
Summary: They’ve been on the road for months, hunger their constant companion. They are almost always cold, and barely on the better side of starving but at least they are free to go and do whatever they want, and they have each other. It’s enough.Continuation to my fic King and Lionheart, I recommend reading that first.Updates sporadically, if at all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [King and Lionheart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12749832) by [taztaas (manala)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/manala/pseuds/taztaas). 



> Continuation to [King and Lionheart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12749832), read that first!

They’ve been on the road for months, hunger their constant companion. They are almost always cold, and barely on the better side of starving but at least they are free to go and do whatever they want, and they have each other. It’s enough.

Taako is often too exhausted to use much of his magic, and he resorts to his dagger instead. Kravitz’s weapon of choice is a sword they stole from the smithy before they left the city. They seem like easy targets, young and skinny and ill-equipped for a life of vagrancy.

But they are ready to fight, tooth and nail. They haven’t survived this long, managed to escape the city they grew up in just to die at the hands of bandits.

They stumble into the inn, wind howling behind them, their wet cloaks dripping water onto the wooden flooring. Kravitz pulls off his hood. He looks human enough, despite being a half-drow, when his ears are covered by his hair and dim lighting hides the redness of his pupils. There is a warm hearth on the center of the room and the mead is cheap. A bard plucks on his lute near the bar but the two of them know better than to trust people. Taako, too obviously high-elven, won’t remove his hood before they are in their room and the door is locked behind them.

Taako slams their last coppers onto the table before the orcish innkeeper. A young servant boy sets his broom aside and shows them to their room on the second floor. He leaves them with a candle and tells them the room is theirs for the night. It’s not good but it’s cheap, and they need a roof on top of their heads. The room is sparsely furnished, with a bed in the corner and a table with two chairs.

Taako and Kravitz step into the room and lock the door. They shed their cloaks, heavy with water. The storm had taken them by surprise, and they are both drenched to the bone.

“Show me,” Taako demands as soon as Kravitz has set their cloaks upon the chairs to dry.

Kravitz wants to argue, but the look on Taako’s face makes him think better of it.

Taako crowds him grabs at his tunic and forces it over his head. Kravitz shivers as air hits his clammy skin.

Taako drops down to inspect the wound on Kravitz’s side, where he had been hit by a bandit’s sword. He had stepped in front of Taako to take the hit for him.

Taako reaches for Kravitz, but he flinches away against his will before Taako’s fingers meet his skin. Taako shoots a stern look up at him and grabs Kravitz’s hip with his other hand to keep him from moving away. Kravitz feels his face flush with warmth and is glad that Taako is now preoccupied with the small gash on his side. The touch on his hip is somehow awkward and too intimate, even though they’ve shared close quarters for most of their lives and should be past embarrassment.

Kravitz breathes a subtle sigh of relief when Taako moves away to grab their waterskin. He pours some of the water on the wound, transmuting it into alcohol before it touches the skin. It stings, and Kravitz hisses through his teeth, making Taako smirk.

Taako rips a piece of linen from the threadbare sheets of the bed with the help of his teeth. He rolls his eyes and casts mending on the sheet at Kravitz’s pointed look. He wraps the cloth around Kravitz’s middle to cover the wound. It’s not a very good bandage but it’s better than nothing and the best they can do.

“It’s gonna scar,” Taako says with a frown, his eyes raking over the older marks marring Kravitz’s skin. Most if not all of them a result of protecting Taako.

“It’s fine,” Kravitz says, reassuring, even though he knows it’s the wrong thing to say.

Taako glares at him, anger flashing in his eyes. He pushes up to his feet and stomps over to the bed in the corner of the room, removing his sopping wet clothes in the process. Kravitz averts his gaze from Taako’s bare form, even though they’ve seen each other naked so many times, changed clothes and bathed in the presence of the other, that there is no reason for modesty.

Kravitz watches Taako burrow and curl under the covers, watches him turn his back to the room. He suppresses a sigh and picks up Taako’s clothes from the floor to hang them over the chairs and table, so that they may dry some. He does the same with his own. He blows out the candle and the room goes dark.

He walks over to the bed and is momentarily distracted by the way Taako’s damp hair spills over the pillows like threads of gold. Kravitz hesitates. The bed is small for two, and Taako is angry. The window above the bed is ill-fitted and a draft blows through the cracks, making them both shiver.

“Get in,” Taako mutters tersely as if sensing Kravitz’s unsure hovering behind him. Kravitz settles on the bed and pulls the covers over himself. He lays on his back and tries to sleep. The blankets do little to help fight the chill that has settled into their bones.

He wakes up in the middle of the night for no reason and turns to his side to find Taako staring at him, eyes piercing. They stare at each other in the darkness. Taako’s hand is resting on his pillow, between them, and Kravitz dares to reach over and cover it with his own. Taako entwines their fingers and Kravitz can feel him shaking.

“You can’t die, Kravitz,” Taako whispers into the dark of the room.

“What am I supposed to do without you? How am I supposed to keep on living?”

Kravitz says nothing, but he doesn’t avert his eyes or move away. Taako squeezes his hand, his grip too tight.

“You can’t let yourself get killed over me.”

Kravitz closes his eyes against the words. He feels Taako move closer, feels his breath on his face. He opens his eyes and sees Taako. He looks into his eyes, blue and green, and he sees everything. He is looking at his whole world.

“Promise me,” Taako says, and it’s too much, the determination, the desperation, and Kravitz closes his eyes again with a grimace.

“Taako, I can’t.” He whispers, forcing the words out.

“Promise me!” Taako chokes out, shaking and grabbing at Kravitz’s arms. Kravitz can’t look at him, can’t meet Taako’s eyes so he moves his hands to Taako’s shoulders and pulls him against his chest. He embraces him, buries his face in Taako’s golden hair.

“I won’t lie to you Taako, I’m sorry,” Kravitz says and wishes he could. He holds Taako’s shaking form and listens to his gasping breaths as he fights to keep from crying.

“I hate you, Kravitz.” Taako finally says and holds him tighter, blinking away tears, face hidden against Kravitz’s bare chest.

“I hate you,” Taako whispers as Kravitz presses a kiss to his hair and says nothing.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh, I don't know. I like it but somehow I don't? I think it might get too jumbled near the end. Also I guess this is a one-shot collection now?

Kravitz is sick. It was bound to happen sooner or later, they sleep out in the woods more often than under a proper roof. He’s only half-elven, so he’s more susceptible to disease than Taako.

It’s gotten bad. He’s running a high fever, and they don’t have money for shelter, for a healer, or even a potion. He lays on the floor of the cave where they’ve stayed for a while now, sweating under all of their blankets and cloaks. Bleary-eyed and delirious, he watches Taako put the finishing touches on his disguise, his body now a human woman’s. Because no one will ask difficult questions from a beautiful woman, Taako had told him, when he cast the spell. The drunks in the tavern will be happy to see her, no one will care where she came from.

Kravitz doesn’t like it.

“I don’t like this.” He says, voice hoarse, throat raw.

“I know Krav, you’ve said it a hundred times already,” Taako says, not looking at him, braiding his now curly auburn hair and pinning it atop of his head. He has golden hoops on his now human ears and a golden necklace dips invitingly into his cleavage. He looks like a common wench, and it’s what he was going for, but it makes Kravitz’s chest tighten unpleasantly.

It’s a good disguise, maybe too good, and Kravitz doesn’t want Taako going out alone. It’s dangerous out there, even for the two of them, and for a lone woman? There are so many ways this could go wrong and all of the possibilities chill Kravitz to the core.

“Everything’s gonna be fine,” Taako says, smearing some red berries on his lips for a hint of color. “I’ll charm the coinpurse off of some drunk, desperate idiot and I’ll be back before you know it.”

“No, Taako…” He tries to get up but the blankets are too heavy and his muscles too weak. Taako finally turns to him and walks over with a sway of hips that would make Kravitz blush if he wasn’t already flushed with fever. “Taako, please, I don’t - ”

“Hush. You _sleep_ now.” Taako says and presses a gentle hand to Kravitz’s forehead, bracelets jingling, and he feels the magic flow over him, unable to fight it.

“No...” He manages to whisper and sees the gentleness in Taako’s now matching green eyes before he succumbs to the spell and falls into deep, magically induced slumber.

Kravitz wakes up. The cave is dark so he has no way of measuring time, but Taako has returned. He hears him retching and cursing at the mouth of the cave.

“Taako?” He calls as loud as his body allows, alarmed.

He hears Taako mutter more profanities and spit on the ground. He hears footsteps and then he can see Taako. Kravitz has never been more thankful for his elven heritage and the ability to see in the dark. Taako looks like himself again, and Kravitz hopes that the disguise spell had held long enough for Taako to get away with his true elven form remaining unseen.

His dress is loose on him, now that he doesn’t have the feminine curves to fill it. The jewelry is gone and he wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand. His lip is split and blood smears onto his cheek and hand.

“Fuck,” Taako says quietly and spits blood over his shoulder. He looks at Kravitz, and his eyes shine in the darkness. He grins, and there’s blood on his teeth.

“That could’ve gone better.” He sounds nonchalant, but Kravitz can see the slight shake of his hands, hear the hidden tremble in his voice. Kravitz struggles to sit up, to push the cloths off of him.

“What happened?” He croaks and wipes at his blurry eyes. He looks for signs of tearing in Taako’s clothing, but the dress seems undamaged. But there’s blood in Taako’s mouth, and dirt under his fingernails and his hair is loose even though it was braided when he left. Taako notices Kravitz’s staring and glares at him.

“Stop. It’s fine.”

“What happened?” Kravitz asks again, even though speaking hurts his throat and sitting up makes him dizzy. Taako turns away and rummages through his bag, his back to Kravitz.

“Nothing,” he says tersely and takes a healing potion out of the pack. He walks over to Kravitz and shoves the bottle at him.

“Drink.”

“Taako.” Kravitz pleads, and something flashes in Taako’s eyes. He uncaps the bottle and presses it into Kravitz’s hands.

“Drink it. I’ll have food for you when you wake up.”

Taako goes to his pile of clothing and starts to remove his dress. Kravitz drinks the potion. The awful taste makes him wince, and when he’s finished he feels drowsy again so he lays back down. Taako, now dressed in his own clothes and cloak, comes over and pulls the covers over him. Kravitz pushes at the blankets to get his arm free and he reaches for Taako, who grabs his hand and kneels beside him.

“It’s okay Kravitz,” Taako says, soft and quiet, and brushes his thumb over Kravitz’s knuckles.

Kravitz grits his teeth. He promised himself that he’d protect Taako, and he has failed.

“Krav. You need to rest.” Taako says with a frown on his brow. Irritation flashes like heat through Kravitz’s veins and gathers into a pressure in his skull. He feels like he’s gonna blow up.

“What I need is for you to stay safe!” He hisses and clutches Taako’s hand before dissolving into coughs. Anger visibly flares in Taako, his eyes widening and ears pricking up. He shakes off Kravitz’s hold on his hand and sits back to put some distance between them.

“You’re a moron Kravitz,” he spits out, his words poisonous. “An honest to god idiot. You have no idea how this world works. You do this every time.”

He crosses his arms, seething.

“I was living, I was _surviving_ in that hellhole of a city long before you came and killed that fat bastard for me. And even before that, me and my sister, we _lived_ out here, in the wilds. And we were children! You think I can’t fucking take whatever bullshit is thrown at me? You think that I’ll let this world _break_ me?”

Kravitz hesitates, his frustration simmering because that’s not what he thinks. He knows Taako is not weak.

“No, that… that’s not…”

“You think that I _need_ you to protect me?”

“No, I know! I know that you don’t… that you don’t need me I…”

Kravitz says, quiet and trailing off. Taako jerks in surprise.

“That’s not what I -” Taako starts to say but Kravitz ignores him and continues on.

“It- it’s me that needs you. I have... I have nothing, no meaning. What reason is there for me to live if it’s not to die for you?”

“Stop it,” Taako says, trembling with emotion. Kravitz is looking down at his hands, set on top of the blankets and he doesn’t notice.

“No, I-”

“Stop it!” Taako shouts and scrambles back to Kravitz’s side. He grabs Kravitz’s head and holds his face, hands pressed to his cheeks gently. Kravitz stares back at him, eyes wide. Taako pushes his forehead against Kravitz’s and closes his eyes.

“You’re an idiot,” Taako whispers, “I want you to live. I _need_ you to live. I’ve told you- ”

Kravitz closes his eyes too and brings his hands up to cover Taako’s.

“I’ve told you! You’re all I have too. You can’t- ” Taako chokes on his words. He pulls away, swallowing. Taako is looking away but Kravitz doesn’t let go of his hands.

“You can’t throw yourself away,” Taako whispers, and turns to look at Kravitz, eyes sad and pleading. He’s beautiful, and strong, and caring, and everything Kravitz has ever wanted. Something gets stuck in Kravitz’s throat, his heart feels like it's going to burst and his head swims with realization.

In a moment of insanity, Kravitz surges forward and kisses Taako on the mouth. He tastes like blood.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know, this is just self-indulgent as fuck :D  
> But I really like writing this and I hope someone gets a kick out of reading this.

Kravitz is running. He’s running because he kissed Taako and now he’s ruined everything. He runs and remembers all the times when they let men and women flirt with them just to get something to eat. He remembers the times afterward, watching Taako bathe and scrub at his skin hard enough to make it turn red. He runs because he’s just like all the others that have touched Taako without asking and made him hate himself.

He runs, even though he knows that if Taako’s chooses to follow, he’ll never get away. Taako grew up in a forest - he knows tracking and foraging and how to move fast but silent and not trip on tree roots and vole nests. Taako knows what bird makes which sound, he knows what mushrooms are edible and which are not, he knows if the direwolf is gone or coming back.

All Kravitz knows is how to obey orders, how to feign respect when you’re burning with hatred and how to cover his head and neck and stomach when he’s being hit.

He knows nothing about survival, and Taako was right to call him out on his preposterous idea of protecting Taako. He can’t even keep himself alive. He would be dead if Taako wasn’t looking after him. Taako doesn’t need him, not really.

He trips and falls down on the moss. He curls up, too tired to keep going, trying to hide from the world, hoping to disappear into the forest floor. His eyes sting and his lungs are burning - he shouldn’t be exerting himself, the healing potion will only work with rest. But he ran because he is a coward. Taako got that potion for him at a cost, and now he’s wasting it.

Kravitz cries like a child because he is sick and cold and hungry and exhausted and he has ruined _everything_. He muffles his sobs with his shaking hands. He waits, for death or some other inevitable conclusion to his foolishness.

Kravitz doesn’t hear anything, not a single twig or dry leaf cracking under a foot. But thin fingers touch his face and it’s Taako because of course it is.  He hovers over Kravitz and he brushes his palm over a damp cheek.

Taako’s eyes are sharp and wild and Kravitz is terrified. He thinks Taako might kill him. He thinks he deserves it.

Taako hears it first because his ears are better, and the fear that flashes in his eyes makes Kravitz’s heart almost stop. Then he hears it too, he hears people. Taako quickly presses down, covering Kravitz with his body and cloak. He must be tired, having used so much magic today already but Kravitz hears him whisper a spell that makes them blend into their surroundings, into the greens and browns of the forest.

Taako’s face is close to Kravitz’s own, but he keeps his eyes up, searching the forest for movement, for danger. They are close enough that Kravitz can see the wound on Taako’s lip coagulate, and the skin around his left eye turn purple, bruising.

“Fucking bitch stole all my gold!”

“Yeah, yeah, are you sure she went this way? There’s nothing here but wilderness.”

“There’s the old cave though, where the bandits used to store their loot.”

Both Kravitz and Taako freeze, that’s where they’ve been hiding, where they keep all their belongings. They can’t afford to lose everything again, they won't survive empty-handed, without their supplies.

These men must not go to the cave.

Kravitz shifts, and it brings Taako’s attention to him, and it’s terrible because Kravitz isn’t ready to have Taako’s eyes on him, he isn’t ready for this proximity after what he had done.

But Taako doesn’t move, doesn’t do anything, and they hear the men from the village force their way through the trees and bushes, making all too much noise. They’re headed for the cave.

Kravitz stares at Taako’s eyes, the color of them dulled by the overexertion of magic and Kravitz whispers a spell of his own. It’s nothing much, but it’s a little something, something he can do. Something Taako taught him years ago when they were running in the back alleys, stolen goods weighing down their pockets, desperation and fear hastening their steps.

He casts a mislead, a distraction, a copy of himself running in the opposite direction. He makes sure to stumble, make a lot of noise so that the search party might hear, and they do. The men curse and turn on their heel, they give chase.

Kravitz listens but doesn’t move until Taako deems it safe and stands up, dispelling the illusion upon them. The adrenaline has worn off, and Kravitz feels weak and emotionally raw and vulnerable. He sits up and rubs his hands over his face but he doesn’t dare to look up, to see the look on Taako’s face.

He feels terrible like he’s taken a knife to the gut. He’s crossed a line, betrayed Taako’s trust. And on top of that, they need to move, they can’t stay in the cave anymore and he’s still sick, a burden.

“Krav.”

Taako says, and when Kravitz looks up, he’s offering a hand to pull him up, and Kravitz takes it because he’ll never deny Taako of anything, he will always take whatever he’s given. Kravitz grabs Taako’s hand, but instead of pulling him up, Taako just holds it in his own.

“Krav,” Taako says again and smiles, and it’s brittle but it’s pretty and Kravitz dares to hope.

“You’re good, yeah?”

“Taako…” Kravitz manages to get out, there’s something in his throat, choking him and preventing him from speaking. He trembles and grips Taako’s hand too hard but Taako doesn’t falter, doesn’t flinch.

“You’re good,” Taako says and entwines their fingers together, gentle but heavy with feeling.

“Taako!” Kravitz cries and pulls hard at Taako’s hand, and Taako stumbles down with a yelp, falls against Kravitz’s chest and then he’s laughing, trying to keep quiet, but still bright and tinkling.

They’re still holding hands, and Kravitz moves his free hand behind Taako to grab at his cloak. He presses his face to Taako’s neck, hides in the hair that tumbles over one shoulder. Taako’s long fingers go to the back of Kravitz’s head and brush into his hair, letting it loose from it’s messily made bun.

Kravitz’s hair, black as midnight, falls down his back and his front and Kravitz looks down, sees Taako’s golden hair mingling with his own in the space between their chests. Gold and black, day and night. It’s meaningful, somehow, but Kravitz doesn’t have the capacity to understand it right now so he closes his eyes and sighs, “Taako.”

He feels Taako swallow, pressed against his neck as he is and Taako’s fingertips brush against Kravitz’s jaw. “Yeah,” Taako says, quiet and Kravitz shivers in response.

They walk back to the cave in silence, Taako leading the way, his steps sure and soft. They don’t speak but Taako doesn’t let go of Kravitz’s hand. It feels good. It feels right.


End file.
